I was honored to recently be interviewed by the remarkable Lisa Frederiksen at BreakingTheCycles.com. Please check out her website and the great work that Lisa is doing. She has published several books, and has established herself as an expert in the field of addiction. Here’s the interview: “I recently finished reading Barbara Cofer Stoefen’s book, “A Very Fine House, a Mother’s Story of Love, Faith, and...

(This article was first posted on addiction.com on Mother’s Day.) It was the first Mother’s Day since my daughter’s return home from treatment six months before. My son was away at college, so this would be a mother-daughter Mother’s Day, the first after many years apart. I was expectant and ready, with visions of adoration, breakfast in bed and a marching band coming through the house. It would finally be my turn. My turn to...

This article was first published on my blogspot at addiction.com Twenty-five years ago a runaway NY Times bestseller took America by storm. Titled, “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten,” author Robert Fulghum enchanted his readers with new insights on everyday living. He explored the profound wisdom of following the simple rules of living most of us are taught at an early age: Play fair Don’t hit people...

I’m thrilled to have an article published today in the April issue of Recovery Today Magazine. You can click here to download a free copy of the entire digital version of the magazine, or read the article below. A Very Fine House I often tell people ours was the family to which this could never happen. Meth addiction? No way. That couldn’t happen in our family. Meth was something that happened to other people. It was “over...

This article was first published on my new blog spot at addiction.com I’m the mother of a drug addict. I can’t tell how long it took me to say those words. I’m grateful beyond description that Annie has now achieved sustained recovery, but when in active addiction, the word “addict” didn’t really roll off the tongue very well. The first time I referred to my daughter and the word “addict” in the same sentence, I felt as if I’d entered...

“Mom! You’ve got to get me out of here!” I remember my daughter saying exactly this the very first time she was booked into our county jail. Heartsick that her meth addiction had come to this, I wrestled with what to do. I wanted to fix things for Annie, and help right her wrongs. Isn’t that what parents are supposed to do? News that her child is in jail is probably the second-to-most dreaded phone call a mom can receive. Until...